The present invention relates to the use as lubricants having a low friction coefficient and an improved noise reduction among moving mechanical parts, preferably mechanical parts in polymer material, of concentrated dispersions dilutable with water.
More specifically the present invention relates to concentrated dispersions dilutable with water comprising a lubricant having a (per)fluoropolyether structure, a (per)fluoropolymer, water, a surfactant and optionally a fluorinated solvent, and to the above dispersions when they are used for the above application. Said dispersions can be used, even in very thin layers, for the lubrication for example of miniaturized gears, flat surfaces both in plastomer and metal material, surfaces in plastic material in contact with painted surfaces, seal gaskets, moulds for moulding plastomer and elastomer materials, lubrication of hinges in plastic or metal material.
The concentrated dispersions in order to be applied in a thin layer require a dilution with water: the usable dispersions according to the invention must therefore be dilutable with water and therefore they must be continuous in water. The non dilution with water would lead to biphasic systems unsuitable to give continuous liquid layers on the substrata to be lubricated.
The treatment of surfaces and articles with dispersions of PTFE as dry lubricant is known in the prior art, applying said dispersions and evaporating the solvent, leaving as a result an uniform layer of PTFE at a dry state. Dispersions in water or in organic solvents (for example isopropanol), for example Vydax(copyright), are marketed; they contain PTFE having a low molecular weight at a concentration in the range 20-30% by weight. These dispersions in order to be used must be diluted at about 2% of dry product. A solvent used for this purpose was CFC 113 for its high volatility. However it is well known that CFCs cannot be used any longer according to the Montreal Protocol due to their environmental impact.
A partial solution to these drawbacks has been obtained by adding to said dispersions hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC), such as for example 141b, alone or in combination with (per)fluorocarbons. This solution, as said, is partial since also HCFCs are subjected to restrictions according to the Montreal Protocol and later amendments due to their impact on the atmospheric ozone. A solution to this problem has been suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,310, which relates to dispersions of fluoropolymers in (per)fluorinated liquids, wherein the (per)fluorinated liquids are included in the continuous phase. The dispersions have sufficient stability to be used for preparing coatings. This patent relates also to the preparation of emulsions of (per)fluorinated liquids and polar solvents. The dispersions of the patent are formed by four main components: a (per)fluorinated solvent, a polar solvent (including water and polar organic solvents), a (per)fluoropolymer under the form of dispersed particles, typically PTFE, and a surfactant selected from specific classes. Typically the system comprises as main component the (per)fluorinated solvent. The teaching of this patent relates to the preparation of a (per)fluoropolymer coating such as for example PTFE to be used as dry lubricant, starting from an emulsion of fluorinated solvents and polar hydrogenated solvents or water.
The drawback of the PTFE-based dispersions used as dry lubricant resides in that the lubricant properties are not very high since the friction coefficient is rather high and there is not a meaningful noise reduction.
The use of greases formed by mixtures of PTFE and (per)fluoropolyether (PFPE) oils as lubricants for bearings, sliding surfaces, etc. is also known in the prior art. These greases are viscous systems and are not substantially suitable to be used as lubricants in thin films.
It is known that dispersions of fluorinated PFPE oils in water have low stablity. It has been recently found by the Applicant, see EP 894,838, that dispersions having improved stability to separation during the time, comprising (per)fluorinated solvents and (per)fluorinated polymers, specifically PTFE, can be prepared by mixing a fluoropolymer in polar solvent water and/or alcohol, with a fluorinated liquid having a (per)fluoropolyether or (per)fluorocarbon structure, in the presence of specific surfactants. The dispersions comprise from 0.1 to 30% by weight of PTFE, 50-99% by weight of fluorinated liquid, from 0.01 to 5% by weight of a surfactant selected from particular classes and polar solvent complement to 100% by weight. The fluorinated liquids are (per)fluoropolyethers having a number average molecular weight 250-5,000, preferably 350-1,000, or liquid (per)fluorocarbons or mixtures thereof. These dispersions can be obtained in various ways and using various starting components. The preparation of the dispersions can be carried out by a process comprising the following steps. One starts from dispersions of fluorinated polymers in polar solvent water and/or alcohol (step axe2x80x2)), surfactants are added (step bxe2x80x2)) and subsequently a (per)fluoropolyether or (per)fluorocarbon liquid such that the ratio by weight polymer/(per)fluorinated liquid is lower than 0.7 (step cxe2x80x2)). The (per)fluoropolymer dispersions in polar solvent used in axe2x80x2) are the (per)fluoropolymer dispersions in alcohol or the latexes directly obtained from polymerization processes using water. The concentration of (per)fluorinated polymers in the latexes ranges from 20 to 50% by weight. Said latexes can optionally be concentrated up to 60-75% by weight of (per)fluoropolymer. The (per)fluoropolymer/polar solvent system of step bxe2x80x2) is obtained by a gelification process of the aqueous latexes of step axe2x80x2), neutralization and dispersion of the gel. In the gelification process high yields of transfer of the PTFE polymer from the polar solvent to the fluorinated organic phase, are obtained. In most Examples wherein the gel formation process is used, a PTFE dispersion in the fluorinated organic liquid containing a very low amount of water, of the order of some percent by weight, for example 2-7%, is therefore obtained. In the Examples wherein the gelification process is not used but a simple mixing of the phases, i.e. by directly using the initial dispersion of the (per)fluoropolymer, a biphasic system can be obtained consisting of a (per)fluoropolymer dispersion in fluorinated solvent having a very low water content, lower than about 20% by weight, and of an aqueous phase which substantially comprises most part of the (per)fluoropolymer and the surfactant, wherein the fluorinated solvent is practically absent.
In the Examples in which the (per)fluoropolymer is used under the form of concentrated latex, stabilized by non ionic surfactants such as for example Triton(copyright) X100, the system obtained by the process is formed by a mixture comprising water in a percentage in the range 10-20% by weight and (per)fluoropolymer in the range 15-25% by weight. The remaining part of the mixture is formed by (per)fluoropolyether solvents. In the reported application Example (Example 21) a coating formed by a continuous polymer film of (per)fluoropolymer is described, obtained from this dispersion through the complete evaporation of all the solvents (water and fluorinated solvents).
From the prior art no indication is available about the preparation of aqueous dispersions of (per)fluoropolyether lubricants dilutable with water to give a continuous phase and especially of dispersions able to give lubricant films having a low friction coefficient and an improved noise reduction among moving mechanical parts, preferably mechanical parts in polymer material.
The need was felt to have available stable dispersions of fluorinated oils in aqueous medium in order to minimize the environmental impact of solvents and to improve the performances of the applications of lubricant having the combination of the indicated properties in thin films for the lubrication for example of miniaturized gears, flat surfaces both in plastomer and metal material, surfaces in plastic material in contact with painted surfaces, seal gaskets, moulds for moulding plastomer and elastomer materials, lubrication of hinges in plastic or metal material.
It has now been unexpectedly and surprisingly found that said technical problem can be solved by using dispersions as specified hereinafter.
An object of the present invention are dispersions, and their use as lubricants having a low friction coefficient and an improved reduction of the noise among moving mechanical parts, preferably mechanical parts in polymer material, said dispersions comprising a fluorinated oil, a perfluoropolymer and water, said compositions dilutable with water even up to a concentration of 1% by weight of fluorinated oil+(per)fluoropolymer, obtainable by mixing:
a) a fluorinated oil having a (per)fluoropolyether structure having lubricant capability, having a number average molecular weight higher than 1,300, preferably higher than 1,400,
b) a concentrated aqueous dispersion of a (per)fluoropolymer (component bxe2x80x2), stabilized by a non ionic and non fluorinated surfactant, wherein the (per)fluoropolymer concentration is in the range 40-75% by wheight,
c) a fluorinated and/or hydrogenated surfactant,
d) water,
e) optionally a fluorinated solvent having no lubricant properties, low boiling and having a number average molecular weight lower than 1,000,
eliminating the aqueous supernatant layer if after mixing the system separates in two phases.
It has been unexpectedly found by the Applicant that the compositions of the invention diluted with water up to the indicated values, remain stable for at least 30 minutes, or even for some hours. The fact that no separation takes place allows to obtain uniform and continuous coatings with improved friction properties.
The ratio by weight lubricant oil component a)/(per)fluoropolymer component bxe2x80x2) is in the range 0.5-8, preferably 1.5-3.5. The optional fluorinated solvent component e) is not considered since in order to form the final lubricant coating both water and low-boiling solvents are completely removed in order to avoid that the lubricant properties of the coating are compromised. Generally water and low-boiling solvents are removed by heating at 60xc2x0-90xc2x0 C., preferably 60xc2x0-80xc2x0 C., at the pressure of 1 atm for the time necessary for this operation.
The compositions which are used in the application of the present invention are able to form a lubricant, even very thin film of the order of one hundred micron, with very good lubricant properties and good dimensional stability.
Without to be bound to any theory, the Applicant deems that the lubricant effect of the compositions used in the present invention is due to the (per)fluoropolyether in combination with the thickening effect of the (per)fluoropolymer, which behaves as support for the PFPE film.
The dispersions of the present invention can be used, preferably after dilution, for example for the lubrication of miniaturized gears, both in plastic material and in metal, for the lubrication of flat surfaces both in plastomer and metal material, and of surfaces of plastic material in contact with painted surfaces, for the lubrication of seal gaskets and of moulds for moulding plastomer and elastomer materials, for the lubrication of hinges in plastic or metal material.
The dispersions of the invention preferably comprise the amounts of the following components (by weight):
a) (per)fluoropolyether oil: 25-70%,
bxe2x80x2) (per)fluoropolymer: 5-40%,
c) fluorinated and/or hydrogenated, i.e. non fluorinated, surfactant: 0.01-5%; the non fluorinated surfactant can derive from the dispersion b) of the (per)fluoropolymer; in said dispersion the amount of the non fluorinated surfactant is comprised between 5-8% by weight based on the (per)fluoropolymer (component bxe2x80x2)) amount,
d) water: complement to 100% but not lower than about 10%, generally in the range 10-30%,
e) optionally a (per)fluorinated solvent having a (per)fluoropolyether or (per)fluorocarbon structure: 0-30%,
the ratio oil/(per)fluoropolymer being that above indicated.
The dispersions of the invention could be used as such, without dilution with water, but with the above indicated drawbacks.
The dilution ratio with water depends on the type of application and on the required lubricant thickness, taking into account that higher the concentrations of dry product in the dispersion higher the thickness of the obtained lubricant film. Preferably the dispersions are diluted with water so that the water amount is higher than 30% by weight, more preferably higher than 40%, still more preferably higher than 50-60% by weight.
The (per)fluoropolyether lubricant component a) has preferably perfluorinated end groups. The number average molecular weight is in the range 1,300-40,000, generally the kinematic lubricant viscosity, measured at 20xc2x0 C., is in the range 30-1,800 cSt (3-180xc2x7107 m2/s) With (per)fluoropolyether lubricant, compounds comprising fluorooxyalkylene units preferably selected from the following:
(CF2CF2O), (CF2O), (CF2CF(CF3)O), (CF(CF3)O),
(CF2CF2CF2O),
are meant, said units being statistically distributed along the polymer chain. For example (per)fluoropolyethers of non reactive type, i.e. having (per)fluoroalkyl end groups, selected from the following classes, can be used:
(a1) T1xe2x80x94O(CF2xe2x80x94CF(CF3)O)a(CFXO)bxe2x80x94T2 
wherein:
T1 and T2, equal to or different from each other, can be xe2x80x94CF3, xe2x80x94C2F5, xe2x80x94C3F7 groups, X is xe2x80x94F or xe2x80x94CF3; a, b are numbers such that the molecular weight is within the above indicated range.
These perfluoropolyethers are obtained according to the process described in UK 1,104,482, with subsequent conversion of the end groups into non reactive groups according to the process described in UK 1,226,566.
(b1) CF3xe2x80x94O(CF2CF2O)c(CF2O)dxe2x80x94CF3 
wherein:
c, d are integers such that the molecular weight is within the above indicated range.
These PFPEs are prepared by photochemical oxidation of C2F4 according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,378.
(c1) C3F7xe2x80x94O(CF(CF3)xe2x80x94CF2O)exe2x80x94T3 
wherein:
T3 can be xe2x80x94C2F5, xe2x80x94C3F7; e is an integer such that the molecular weight is within the above indicated range;
These compounds are prepared by ionic oligomerization of the hexafluoropropene epoxide and subsequent treatment of the acyl fluoride (COF) with fluorine according to U.S. Pat. No. 2,242,218.
(d1) T4xe2x80x94O(CF2xe2x80x94CF(CF3)O)g(C2F4O)h(CFXO)ixe2x80x94T5 
wherein:
T4 and T5, equal to or different from each other, are perfluorinated groups xe2x80x94CF3, xe2x80x94C2F5, xe2x80x94C3F7; X is xe2x80x94F or xe2x80x94CF3;
g, h, i, are integers such that the molecular weight is within the above indicated range.
These products are obtained by photooxidation of mixtures of C3F6 and C2F4 and subsequent treatment with fluorine according to the process described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,041.
(e1) T6xe2x80x94O(CF2CF2CF2O)lxe2x80x94T7 
wherein:
T6 and T7, equal to or differnt from each other, are xe2x80x94CF3, xe2x80x94C2F5, xe2x80x94C3F7 groups; l is an integer such that the molecular weight is within the above indicated range.
These products are obtained according to EP 148,482.
The preferred perfluoropolyethers are those of the (a1), (b1) and (d1) classes.
The (per)fluoropolyether end groups are of fluoroalkyl type, optionally containing one chlorine and/or H atom, for example: xe2x80x94CF3, xe2x80x94C2F5, xe2x80x94C3F7.
The viscosity of the lubricant perfluoropolyether oil must be selected on the basis of the requirements of the application system.
The (per)fluoropolymer component bxe2x80x2) is preferably under the form of concentrated latex stabilized by a non ionic surfactant. The latex concentration is preferably in the range 50-75% by weight. As (per)fluoropolymers, TFE homopolymers or tetrafluoroethylene copolymers can be mentioned. Among the latter it can be mentioned, for example:
A) modified polytetrafluoroethylene containing small amounts, generally in the range 0.01-3% by moles, preferably 0.05%-0,5% by moles, of one or more comonomers selected from perfluoroalkylperfluorovinylethers, such as for example methylvinylether and propylvinylether; vinylidene fluoride; hexafluoroisobutene; chlorotrifluoroethylene; perfluoroalkylethylenes, such as for example perfluoropropene;
B) thermoplastic copolymers of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) containing from 0.5 to 8% by moles of at least one perfluoroalkylvinylether, wherein the perfluoroalkyl radical has from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, such as for example, the TFE/perfluoropropylvinylether, TFE/perfluoromethylvinylether, TFE/perfluoroethylvinylether, TFE/perfluoroalkylethylene copolymers;
C) thermoplastic copolymers of tetrafluoroethylene containing from 2 to 20% by moles of a C3-C8 perfluoroolefin, such as, for example, the TFE/hexafluoropropene copolymer, to which small amounts (lower than 5% by moles) of other comonomers having a perfluorovinylether structure can be added (as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,675,380);
D) thermoplastic copolymers of tetrafluoroethylene containing from 0.5 to 13% by weight of perfluoromethylvinylether and from 0.05 to 5% by weight of one or more fluorinated monomers selected from the group formed by:
1) RFOxe2x80x94CFxe2x95x90CF2 (II)
wherein RF can be:
i) a perfluoroalkyl radical containing from 2 to 12 carbon atoms;
ii) 
wherein r is an integer in the range 1-4 and rxe2x80x2 is an integer in the range 0-3;
iii) 
are statistically distributed along the chain; T is a (per)fluoroalkyl radical from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, optionally containing one H or Cl atom;
X and Y are equal to xe2x80x94F or xe2x80x94CF3; Z represents xe2x80x94CFX)xe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94(CF2xe2x80x94CFY)xe2x80x94;
q and qxe2x80x2, equal to or different from each other, are integers in the range 0-10;
the number average molecular weight of the monomer is in the range 200-2,000;
2) RFxe2x80x94CHxe2x95x90CH2 (VII)
wherein RF has the meaning described in 1);
3) a perfluorodioxole of formula: 
wherein R3 is a C1-C5 perfluoroalkyl radical, preferably CF3; X1 and X2 are, independently the one from the other, one fluorine atom or a perfluoroalkyl having from one to three carbon atoms, preferably a CF3.
The preferred ratio by weight of the three classes of monomers which form the thermoplastic copolymers tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoromethylvinylether/fluorinated monomers (D) is the following:
perfluoromethylvinylether: 2-9%;
fluorinated monomers: 0.1-1.5%;
tetrafluoroethylene: complement to 100%.
Among the comonomers of formula (II) perfluoroethylvinylether, perfluoropropylvinylether and perfluorobutylvinylether can for example be mentioned. The preferred comonomer of this class is perfluoropropylvinylether.
The comonomers of formula (III) are described, for example, in the European patent application EP 75,312. Examples of these comonomers are those in which r can be 1 or 2 and rxe2x80x2 is 2.
The comonomers of formula (IV) are obtained by dechlorination of the compounds of formula: 
which can be prepared as described in Example 11 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,770.
In the comonomers of formula (VII) RFxe2x80x94CHxe2x95x90CH2, the radical RF preferably contains from 2 to 6 carbon atoms. Examples of these comonomers are perfluorobutylethylene and perfluorohexylethylene.
The above described fluorinated comonomers from (1) to (3) can be copolymerized with TFE and perfluoromethylvinylether alone to give terpolymers or in combination with each other to give tetrapolymers or copolymers having a more complex composition.
The tetrafluoroethylene copolymers can be prepared by radical polymerization in aqueous medium. Performing the polymerization in aqueous phase by using a dispersion or a microemulsion of perfluoropolyether according to European patent application No. 247,379, or, preferably, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,006 results particularly suitable.
The preferred TFE (co)polmers to be used for the preparation of the dispersion of the present invention are the TFE (PTFE) homopolymers or the TFE copolymers with perfluoromethylvinylether between 0.05 and 8% by moles, the latter are known as MFA perfluoropolymers.
The Melt Flow Index (MFI) is an usual indicator of the average molecular weight of the polymer. The MFI (ASTDM D1238-52T method) of the PTFE or its copolymers can generally range between 0.1 and 30. TFE (co)polymers having a molecular weight of about 1,000,000 are usable.
When the surfactant component c) of the composition of the invention is a fluorinated compound, it has preferably a (per)fluoropolyether or perfluoroalkyl structure with ionic or non ionic end groups and it can have the function of dispersant/surfactant or of antirust or antiwear additive. When it is a hydrogenated compound it is preferably a surfactant of non ionic type.
The fluorinated surfactants have for example a (per)fluoropolyether or perfluoroalkyl chain, both of ionic and non ionic type, selected from the following classes:
Axe2x80x2) mono and dicarboxylic acids or salts thereof;
Bxe2x80x2) sulphonic acid salts;
Cxe2x80x2) phosphoric mono and diesters and mixtures thereof, as such or salified, optionally containing triesters in an amount lower than 15% by moles with respect to the total mixture;
Dxe2x80x2) non ionic surfactants formed by fluorinated chains and polyoxyalkylene chains having a number of repeating oxyalkylene units higher than 6;
Exe2x80x2) cationic surfactants having one or more fluorinated hydrophobic chains.
It is also possible to use mixtures of the surfactants thereof, for example mixtures of carboxylic acids having a PFPE or perfluoroalkyl chain with the structure of class Axe2x80x2) with non ionic surfactants belonging to class Dxe2x80x2).
The surfactants Cxe2x80x2) are described for example in EP 687,533 and EP 709,517, herein incorporated by reference. Among these surfactants the phosphoric monoesters and diesters of perfluoropolyethers can be mentioned.
The surfactants Dxe2x80x2) are described for example in EP 818,490, EP 818,489, EP 826,714 herein incorporated by reference.
Among the surfactants Exe2x80x2), for example described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,248, herein incorporatd by reference, tetralkylammonium or pyridinium salts having a PFPE chain can be mentioned.
Among the hydrogenated surfactants, ethoxylated alkylphenols, ethoxylated alcohols, alkylpolyglucosides, amine oxides can be mentioned.
The fluorinated low-boiling solvent component e) of the composition of the invention can have a (per)fluoropolyether or perfluorocarbon structure and it must have, as said, a boiling point in the range 60xc2x0-90xc2x0 C., preferably 60xc2x0-80xc2x0 C. at the pressure of 1 atm.
A process for preparing the dispersions of the invention to be used as lubricants for the indicated applications is the following.
A concentrated aqueous dispersion of (per)fluoropolymer (component bxe2x80x2)) under the form of an aqueous latex at 40-75% by weight stabilized with non ionic surfactant for example Triton(copyright) X100, is mixed with a perfluoropolyether lubricant component a) and with a surfactant component c), optionally adding a fluorinated solvent, having a PFPE or perfluorocarbon structure, component e). When two phases form, the lower phase which contains the fluorinated lubricant and a part of the (per)fluoropolymer is recovered. When on the contrary only one phase forms, the mixture is used as such. The formation of a monophasic or biphasic system depends on the combination of the used lubricant and surfactant. A guide for obtaining these systems is indicated in the Examples described hereinafter.
The obtained dispersions result continuous in aqueous phase. This means that they are dilutable in water and allow to obtain by dilution a stable aqueous dispersion, macroscopically formed by a single liquid phase. This result is unexpected since the dispersions prepared by the gelification process according to the mentioned European patent application are all biphasic, i.e. they are formed by a fluorinated phase separated from an aqueous phase.
It has been found by the Applicant that the underlying oil phase obtained by the gelification process from aqueous latexes, neutralization, gel dispersion, are not dilutable in water and cannot therefore be used to prepare aqueous dispersions dilutable with water.
It is surprising that by adding water to the systems described in the present invention, fluorinated compounds rich (lubricant, (per)fluoropolymer and optionally fluorinated solvent), a stable dispersion is obtained from which water does not separate for the above indicated times. This is advantageous from the industrial point of view since it allows to have available stable aqueous dispersions of PFPE lubricants in the presence of a (per)fluoropolymer as thickener at the desired and required dilution by the application.
The compositions of the invention are applied to the parts to be lubricated by the conventional techniques, for example by spraying, by dipping of the parts to be lubricated into the dispersion.
The following Examples are given for illustrative purposes and they are not limitative of the scope of the invention.